Manuel: “I never quit nothin’ and I didn’t resign”

After nearly nine seasons as manager of the Phillies, Charlie Manuel has been let go by the team, paving the way for Ryne Sandberg to become the interm leader.

Here are a few of my thoughts on the firing.

I disagree on the timing. Putting Sandberg in charge now does nothing to change any outcome. You’ll get 42 games to see what kind of manager he is with a club that will look somewhat different in 2014.

If anything, they should have said let Charlie out at the end of the year and given him a farewell tour of sorts. Everyone pretty much knew he wasn’t coming back, but there was no way he was going quietly into the night. Doing it this way just angers the common fan even more, which is something Ruben should have tried to stop from happening. This fuels the Ruben hate more.

I feel like he should have been out at the end of the season. Not as they were about to celebrate his 1,000th win at the park, which they will postpone. I said even prior to the 2013 season that this would have been Charlie’s last, even if they had won the World Series. A change was in store for the franchise. We got that earlier than I thought necessary.

Below are some excerpts from the Manuel press conference (thank you Jay Floyd).

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Parting words: “I can not explain to you what the last nine year, or eight and a half or whatever’s, meant to me. I’ve had some of the greatest times I’ve ever had in my life. Philadelphia has been the highlight of my career. I love everything about the fans, the city. I talk Phillie baseball everywhere I go. And I want everything to go out on a very positive attitude and note.”

On how Manuel and Amaro came to an agreement to make the change: “It wasn’t arguing…it was relating and communication. And that’s what happened.”

On if his removal as manager was his own call: “I did not resign and I did not quit. I want to tell you something, I never quit nothin’ and I didn’t resign.”

On Sandberg: “I think he definitely deserves a chance to manage in the major leagues. I think he’ll be a real good manager. I love everything about him. I love talking baseball with him.”

On his message to the fans: “Keep coming to the yard, watching the game, loving the game. And support the Phillies, because I think the Phillies are going to get back to where we were a couple of years ago. And I think that our fans will definitely stay behind us.”

Also, Amaro on the decision and notifying Manuel: “I wanted to make sure that when the decision was made that Charlie would not be back, that (Charlie) would know. I didn’t see any reason why we should drag it out and let him sit for the next 40 games, knowing that he wasn’t going to be the manager beyond this year. I don’t think that was fair to him.”

More Amaro: “My job is to try to think of what we need to do to get better in the future and this is one of those steps to try to move this thing forward.”

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16 Comments

George

August 16, 2013 at 5:45 pm

This was, indeed, the wrong time to fire Manuel; it’s totally pointless. Even though Sandberg might get 42 games to make an impression, he’s not going to make a positive one with the current garbage roster. It’s unfair to Sandberg because there’s not a manager alive who could get wins out of a garbage bench, a garbage bullpen.

And that’s not even counting how unfair it is to drop the franchise’s most winning manager before he even got a chance to make a farewell tour, saying farewell to all the baseball people who care about him.

That stuff about not wanting Manuel to have to sit through another 40 games is total hogwash. Manuel loves the game and loves to win, and he’ll be far more uncomfortable missing those games.

His parting remarks show class, something that Amaro lacked in this case.

George, I agree totally classless move by Amaro. It is a disgrace to handle Charlie’s departure this way. This team was going nowhere from opening day. It was not Charlie’s fault for the players that are on this team….but Amaro’s.

Ruben should have done the right thing and step down. He’s a mess as a GM.

What are 42 games worth? Maybe the first ten or fifteen are worth shock value, that their skipper for the last eight years is gone and that their play has a lot to do with it. Is it going to stop Jimmy from swinging at bad pitches? Probably not. Will Sanberg know how to manage the bullpen better? Still the same Diekman, DeFratus, Garcia and Valdez out there. Probably not going to throw more strikes, walk fewer batters. This parting of ways was really a pointless move but for the fact it makes Amaro look like a creep. I look forward to more .375 baseball for the last six weeks of the season.

Amaro: “I wanted to make sure that when the decision was made that Charlie would not be back, that (Charlie) would know.”

What a load of crap. Are we seriously supposed to believe that the Phillies organization just decided now that Charlie isn’t coming back next season? Even my dog knew that the Phillies were going to go in a different direction. Amaro should have the balls to tell the truth, rather than lying blatantly.

Of all the things that Rubin Amaro could do to show the lack of class, this has to be the worst. Charlie has loved this game all his life and brought significant improvements to the overall game in Philadelphia. Why couldn’t they let Charlie ride out this last year rather than demonstrate just how much class that Mr. Amaro doesn’t have. Such a shame in this sports town.

Amaro did this to get the heat of being fired off of him. If the owner ordered this than Amaro if he was any kind of man should have fallen on his sword and resigned and left with Charlie. RAJ knows its his fault not Charlie’s, who the F—could win with no bench (Oh, I forgot we have Mini and McDonald) and that bullpen. RAJ is a no class MFer.

Interesting move from both a baseball and public relations standpoint.
Instead of honoring Charlie for his 1,000th win tonight (as planned) they fire him.
I’m not sure what the sudden sense of urgency was all about but this will go down as a memorable day in Phillies history..
Perhaps the “brain” trust felt that first officially acknowledging the fact that Charlie was the most successful manager in the history of the franchise would wreak havoc with their decision to diminish his accomplishment with a mindless, in-season firing.
In the meantime, the lineup, bench and bullpen remain intact… as does the GM.
Fascinating.

The guy wins 5 straight NL east titles (or whatever it was), a World Series, another NL pennant and is the best manager in the last 30 years and Amaro fires him mid-season when it was Amaro that saddled this team with decrepit players, a shoddy bullpen and a moribund offense. Not even the best manager in history could have done much more with this team.

With his success you owed it to him to let him play out the season. Nobody is watching anyway, the season is lost. The players don’t care. At the least respect what Charlie did and let the fans thank him over the last 20 home games. Making him leave now is just low rent.

Nice way to treat the best manager this organization has ever seen. Then Ruben actually has the nerve to put on the show that he did. I’m sure he does love Charlie, how couldn’t he? Come on there were 43 games left. We all know Charlie would have managed them with his “get out there & win” spirit. It was a gutless and cold thing to do to a great manager, I don’t know this personally, all I had to do was watch his players play for him for the last 8 1/2 years, and then respond to his dismissal. I also know that I will consider this when I decide to spend money on the Phillies, if they don’t care about their best manager, who do they care about? Good luck, Charlie, we all know you’ll be fine, and land where you want:) I’m just sorry it had to end in such a classless way! Good luck to Ryne and the boys of summer, keep on playing like Charlie’s standing there rooting for you.
Anne

I never cease to wonder at the ability of baseball management to make themselves look bad.

Charlie deserved better and anyone with a brain knows it.

Yeah, its a tough business and everyone knew Charlie’s time was up after this year. And yes, Charlie is well off financially. No excuse for lack of class from the front office. Amaro did himself no good with this move.

Ryne has been here long enough to take over at seasons end and have an entire spring training to get the team ready for next year.